Adaptive equalization is employed in order to equalize data signals that experience distortion and intersymbol interference (ISI) due to the electrical characteristics of a channel over which the data signals are transmitted. Currently, there are many types of data signals that may be transmitted at various different bit rates and slew or edge rates. Adapting an equalizer to equalize data signals of different data rates can be a difficult task. Specifically, it is difficult to adapt an equalizer to equalize a data signal when the receiver does not know anything about the data rate or slew/edge rate of the incoming data signal due to the distortion and intersymbol interference in the data signal created by the channel.